Frederick Wayman "Duke" Slater (December 9, 1898 – August 14, 1966) was an American football player and judge. He was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951 and was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Centennial Class in 2020. Slater played college football at the University of Iowa from 1918 to 1921. Playing the tackle position on the line, he was a first-team All-American in 1921 and a member of the Hawkeyes’ 1921 national championship team. Slater joined the NFL the following year, becoming the first black lineman in league history. He played ten seasons in the NFL for the Rock Island Independents and the Chicago Cardinals, garnering seven all-pro selections. Slater earned his law degree in 1928 and began to practice law as a Chicago attorney. In 1948, he was elected to the Cook County Municipal Court, becoming just the second African-American judge in Chicago history. Slater served as a Chicago judge for nearly two decades until his death in 1966. Biography Background Fred Slater was born in Illinois in 1898, the son of George Slater, a Methodist minister. As a boy, Fred somehow picked up the name of the family dog, Duke, as a personal nickname, and he would carry it with him all his life. When Duke Slater was 13 years old, he moved to Clinton, Iowa, after George became pastor of the A.M.E. church there. Fearing injury, George Slater initially forbade Duke from trying out for football at Clinton High School, believing it to be a sport played by “roughnecks.” A brokenhearted Duke went on a hunger strike for several days, and George finally acquiesced on the condition that Duke must be careful to avoid injury. As a result, Slater always took care not to complain or show signs of his football injuries. Every high school player needed to provide their own shoes and helmet. George could not afford both, so he asked Duke to choose. Slater decided he needed shoes more, and he played every game at Clinton High School without a helmet. Meanwhile, Slater's feet were so big that his shoes had to be special ordered from Chicago. Duke Slater played three seasons of football for Clinton High School from 1913-1915. Clinton claimed two Iowa state championships in 1913 and 1914, and the school compiled a 22-3-1 record in Duke’s three years there. Despite playing primarily at tackle, Slater